


Shovel Talk

by Go_Fic_Yourself



Category: Generation X, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Death Threats, Drinking, F/M, Overprotective Parenting, Shovdl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 18:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16351697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Go_Fic_Yourself/pseuds/Go_Fic_Yourself
Summary: Logan kidnaps Jono to get to the bottom about what’s going on between him and Jubilee.





	Shovel Talk

Jono was in the corridor outside his classroom talking to Roxy, Lin and Trevor. They'd just gotten out and it was clear that his, "you can be anything you wanna be except things that require you to be a flat scan human because people are cool with mutants unless you look like a mutant, in which case they suck," lecture had stirred up some feelings. Though apparently the kind of feelings that would have to wait. He felt a hand close in the back of his jacket collar, yanking down and sending his legs windmilling as he was dragged away from his students with a slightly shrill mental /Wot?!/. As he was dragged off Lin waved cheerfully at him, nearly dropping the fat raccoon she was holding in the process, while Trevor and Roxy just looked concerned. 

\OI! Who in the name of-\ he managed to wrench his head around enough to see who he was tripping over himself to follow. \Headmaster? Wha're'ya-\

The (much) shorter man's reply came out a growl, "You an' I are going to get a beer." 

He managed to turn and make walking a little easier, though he was hunched over to do it, apparently the man didn't plan on letting him go. \I can't drink?\ it came out a little hesitant, as though Logan knew something he might have missed.

"Fine." He grumbled, releasing his grip on Jono's collar in favor of digging a set of keys out of his pocket and leading them down the front steps. "Then I'M gettin' a beer, and you're comin' with me." 

\\...Why?\ His mental voice came a little weaker than normal. There weren't many things that scared him, but Headmaster Logan was one of them. 

"Because I said so, an' it's rude to turn someone down when they offer you a drink." 

\But I don't drink?\ he sounded more confused than anything else as they made their way down the steps and towards the garage. Without answering, Logan unlocked a jeep and gestured at Jono.

"Get in, boy." 

For a second, maybe a couple even, he thought about running, but he had a feeling that even with his long legs he wouldn't make it very far. Or at least not for long. Logan waited him out, leaning with one hand on the side of the jeep until Jono folded his lanky-ass self into the seat. 

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

\Where are we going?\

"A bar."

Jono crossed his arms over his chest, equal parts habit, orneriness and protective measure. \I reckoned that bit.\ which was a lie, and he still wasn't convinced the shorter man wasn't going to kill him and hide his body, but he rolled his eyes and drawled on anyway. \Feel like sharing why? You and I aren't exactly mates.\

Logan didn't look away from the road. "No." He didn't clarify if he was answering the question or agreeing that they weren't friends. He did mutter something under his breath that Jono couldn’t make out over the roar of the old truck.

Jono was pretty sure he was going to end up stabbed today. 

The bar was a local one, just a few minutes from campus and more than used to seeing folks from the school with all kinds of mutations. Not that Jono went there often, he didn’t see much point in taking up a seat when the most he’d do is spend a couple bucks on the jukebox. Today it was silent, the place empty but for the odd person that looked several drinks in already. The bartender had a bottle open on the counter before the door had swung shut behind them, Logan took it with a manly sort of nod and led the way over to a booth in a corner. 

The bartender eyed Jono a little warily, "Anything for you?" 

\Nah, mate. Can't drink.\ he tugged down the edge of his bandages, letting a bit of flame lick out. The bartender went a little wide eyed but nodded anyway. \Wishin' I could about now though.\ he grumbled as he slumped into the seat across from Logan and watched him take a pull of his drink. It wasn't often these days that he felt put out watching someone else eat or drink, that wound was well and truly scabbed over, but the feeling he got that Logan was trying to goad him made it ache a little more than it might have otherwise. 

He shoved his hands into his pockets and lounged back. He was determined to wait Logan out, but as the minutes dragged on and the man finished his beer and signaled the bartender for another Jono felt his patience wearing thin (not that it was ever all that substantial to begin with). He considered going over to the jukebox and seeing if there was any decent music on it, but decided he'd rather just get things over with. \Look, just because I can do this all night doesn't mean I want to.\

Logan didn't answer, just got up, got his second beer and came back to the table, looking for all world like he was going to repeat the process. 

\How many of those do I have to sit through before you tell me why I'm here?\

The drink was shorter this time, apparently the second one was meant for savoring. "Guess that depends on how long it takes you to figure it out."

Jono rolled his eyes, which probably wasn't in line with his role of teacher (or doing him any favors with Logan) but without a mouth there were only so many expressions left to him. \If I knew why I was here I wouldn't be asking.\

"Try thinking real hard for a minute. I'm sure it'll come to you." 

His brow furrowed and he could feel the hum of his psionic energy kick up a notch, but he kept his frustration under control. Mostly. It had been a long time since his last ‘emotional outburst’ and he was hoping to keep it that way. \Look, if yer gonna play it this way I'll just walk back to the school then.\ he gestured towards the way they'd gotten here and made like he might get up, \Or you can tell me why I'm here.\

Logan's expression didn't change and Jono didn't leave. \I think I at least deserve a hint!\ 

There was a buzzing sonund and Logan fished his phone out of his pocket. He didn't pick up, but after seeing the ID he set it face up on the table for the younger man to see. "There's your hint, bonfire." 

Jono's eyes flicked to the screen to see Jubilee's face smiling up at him. The screen went dark, the buzzing stopped, then it started over again. If anything, he was more confused. \Jubes? What about her?\ his own phone started to chime in his pocket, text after text coming through. Logan put out a hand for it with his eyes narrowed. Not a request then. Jono handed it over without looking at the screen, but it wasn't difficult to guess who it was. Roxy or one of the others had probably told her who'd dragged Jono off and now she was curious. Or worried. 

Logan was either growing bored or took pity on the other man. "Two of you have been spending a lot of time together lately."

Jono felt...no...he remembered what it felt like to have your stomach drop and quickly chided himself because there was no reason for it. \What of it?\

Logan stares him down, unblinking and reminding Jono of a very patient predator.

\We're friends. Have since Mass.\ He didn't say 'just friends', there wasn't any 'just' about it. Having Jubilee as a friend wasn't settling (and the fact that he'd spent a lot of time wondering if they could ever be more...well, no one, especially not Logan, needed to know about that).

Logan's phone rang again, followed by another series of buzzes from Jono's. \You gonna answer tha’?”\

Logan didn't say anything, just took another long draw on his beer and waited. Jono met his gaze and leaned back in his seat, determined not to break first. 

He broke first.

\Why don' yeh just ask whatever it is yeh want to ask an’ get it over with?\

Logan's eyebrow's hitched a little higher, though Jono couldn't suss out if that was a good or bad thing. "What's going on between you and Jubilee?"

Jono gave a sound like a snort and effortlessly fell back into his own bad habits. \What's it even matter to yeh? Yer never even around.\ Oh. That was the wrong thing to say. Logan's eyes flashed and Jono wished (far from the first time) that his powers offered him some kind of escape (super speed would be nice about now). 

"Look Starsmore, I'm going to play it straight with you. I don't like you. If you weren't so good with the students I'd have kicked you to the curb a long time ago."

\So if I weren't so good at my job, the thing you'd be firing me from, you'd fire me? Makes sense.\ being disliked wasn't new for Jono, in fact it was the goal of some of his less attractive behaviors. 

Logan finished his second beer and didn't say anything further. He didn't even look at the younger man for several minutes. Finally Jono broke a second time.

\Jubes and I are friends. Hell, she's probably my best friend since Ange died. She’s got a kid. I help out sometimes. That’s it. Why's it so important for you to know?\

The bartender swung by and set a third bottle on the table. "Seems to me like it's more than that, or it's heading that way." 

\Didnt know pre-cognition was one of your powers, Sir.\ he snarked back. \This where you tell me to stay away from yer daughter?\

"No." He took a drink from his bottle and set it down with a clink.

When Logan went a minute without adding anything, Jono had to prompt, \No?\

"No. Jubes is grown an' can make her own mistakes." He looked Jono over, making it more than clear that he believes Jono is a mistake in every possible way. "What I'm telling you is that if you pull the same bullshit with her as y'have others, if you toy with her...a girl like Jubes...it would be real easy to dull that sparkle and if you do that to her, I will bury you so deep you won't know which way is up."

That...was well and truly terrifying. Or might have been, if Jono weren't a sentient being of psychic fire animating it's former human shell (something he didn't think about much). Still, he paused before speaking, pulling back the rush of flame that started to flare with his anger. He ran a hand though his hair and silently wished he could sigh. After a long while in which Logan said nothing, he spoke.

\Look, mate. Whatever Jubes and I are, friends or more, she's important to me. An' I agree w'yeh. She's too good for me by far.\ he ducked his head, \'m bet'r than I used to be. More than a small part'a that is cause of Jubes. She's good for me and I'd never hurt her like that, pushin' her away on purpose 'n whatnot. Can't promise I wouldn't find a new and interesting way to fuck things up, but I don't think I've got it in me t'run from her.\ his shoulders rolled in a half-hearted shrug. \Can't imagine life would be all that interesting without her. An’ ‘Go. I...he...y’can’t just...I can’t imagine not bein’ ‘round in some capacity to see ‘im grow up. I care about both of them. An' I've never been the selfless type.\ He looked up briefly, breaking eye contact as quickly as he'd made it. \That answer yer question?\

Logan let the silence drag for a moment then offered a sharp nod. "Yeah. That about covers it. I still don't like you."

"'S fine. I'm not a huge fan o'myself most days either."


End file.
